Recent news

Laser acupuncture is a new form of acupuncture which uses enough light energy to stimulate meridian points without breaking the skin or leaving marks. Now, scientists think it could help reduce symptoms of depression.

It’s hoped that laser acupuncture, as a less invasive form of the therapy, will prove more popular in the West than the traditional Chinese use of needles.

To test the effectiveness of laser acupuncture, Australian researchers from the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney enlisted the help of 47 men and women aged between 18 and 50, all with a history of depression.

The participants were divided into two groups, one of which was given laser acupuncture twice a week for a month, then once a week for another month.

The other group was given ‘dummy’ laser acupuncture, which involved the practitioner shining a normal light on the participants’ skin.

Beating anxiety can be hard, but these easy to adopt habits should help to reduce symptoms.

Not being able to sleep, a racing heart and that sinking feeling in the pit of you stomach are all symptoms of anxiety. Introducing a few easy habits every day will go a long way to reducing these feelings and should help you feel calmer and more relaxed.

1)Get enough rest – broken sleep can affect us, both physically and mentally. Ensuring you get the recommended 7-8 hours sleep a night should help lower those anxiety levels.

2) Smile – even when you don’t feel like it. Research suggests that laughing can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, so if work is getting you down, take a laughter break with some funny youtube clips.

3)Be grateful – studies have found that expressing gratitude in the form of a journal can help to reduce...

High blood pressure is commonly thought of as an issue only older people need to worry about, but it is now estimated that over a third of young people between the ages of 16 and 34 suffer from some sort of hypertension.

If you suffer from high blood pressure, it is important to take your doctor’s advice and any medication prescribed, however, there are a few natural remedies you can try alongside your medication to help lower that pressure…

Raw almonds – Just eating a small handful of raw almonds a day could make a significant difference to your blood pressure. The monounsaturated fats found in the nuts lower blood cholesterol levels and arterial inflammation.

Coconut water – rich in electrolytes, potassium and other essential nutrients, coconut water has been revealed to lower blood pressure in a...

Online network Therapy Directory recently asked the public if complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) should be made free on the NHS. The overall response was that yes – free CAM should be made widespread to prevent illness, speed up NHS waiting times and step in when orthodox medicine comes up short.

The proper mix of proven complementary, traditional and modern remedies can help create a powerful healing force in the world

Findings from a survey conducted by Therapy Directory between June 2012 and January 2013* show that Britons want easier...

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it seems the pressure’s on to grab a partner, stockpile the chocolate-dipped strawberries and wipe the dust off that long-lost ‘mojo’.

Life in the modern world can be stressful. Magazines, tabloids and the Z-list elite convince us we all need to be young, beautiful and brimming with sexual energy to be worthy of a place in society. If you’re worried that on Thursday the whole world will be practicing complicated tantric moves to Enya while you sit on your sofa eating a take-away – don’t be.

All that pressure and stimulation can be a massive turnoff and you’re not the only one dreading Valentine’s Day.

Here we discuss the best way to give your loins a natural kickstart in three simple steps. We promise you won’t have to gulp down oysters, recite poetry or buy hundreds of tea-lights …

US researchers have suggested that living in sunnier climates may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers at the Harvard Medical School have carried out a study on more than 200,000 women looking into the link between sunlight and the chances of developing the disease. It has been speculated that vitamin D (produced by the body in sunlight) could protect us against this type of arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the body’s immune system starts to attack its own joints. The disease can cause intense pain for the sufferer and is more common in women.

The study followed two groups of over 100,000 women. The first group was monitored from 1976 onwards and the second from 1989. Their health was then compared with the estimated amount of UV-B radiation they were exposed to – based on weather conditions where they lived.

In the group from 1976, those living in sunnier parts of the US and getting the...

Coun Crabbe claims it is a rejection of core NHS principals to reserve alternative therapy solely for those who can afford it. If the NHS stands for free healthcare for every individual then it should offer people the choice between prescription drugs and alternative therapy.

A number of alternative therapies are currently provided by the NHS in certain areas. Homeopathy, for instance, is offered in Bristol, Liverpool, Nottingham and London but in Swindon it remains a privately-funded treatment – something that Coun Crabbe is fighting to change.

The argument has been put forward in a report to Swindon Council’s health overview and scrutiny...

The cold and flu season has been in full swing for a couple of months now, with many people across the UK suffering from the symptoms – 15 million a year in fact. I don’t know about you but I’m none too keen on being bed ridden and am always looking for an alternative treatment.

Everyone’s worst nightmare on a cold winter morning is to wake up with a sore throat, a blocked nose and a sore head. It means you are faced with the conundrum of either phoning the office to explain why you won’t be making it in today, or to drag yourself to work and inflict a variety of germs onto your co-workers.

While products such as aspirin and lemsip can be very useful in your dire state of need, there could be a helping hand from the humble elderberry. Extract from the black elderberry is the main, key ingredient in a product called sambucol that is designed to alleviate cold and flu symptoms. Sambucol also contains Betacarotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin D,...

It seems as though yoga is having somewhat of a moment in the media, with more and more celebrity devotees announcing their dedication. The latest of whom is none other than tennis player Andy Murray.

The world number three has credited his improved performance to his decision to practice yoga in balmy 40°C heat. He says the workout has changed him both mentally and physically, helping him to compete at the highest levels.

Bikram yoga comprises of a 26-posture sequence that takes around 90 minutes to complete and is practiced in extreme heat. Murray has said of the practice, “Until you do it you can’t comment on how difficult it is. It’s tough. It’s ugly.”

Murray started practicing yoga five years ago after his conditioning coach, Matt Little, advised him to give it a go. Since then, other tennis players have followed suit, including Laura...